[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10621-10623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4040]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-R-2011-N011; 1265-0000-10137-S3]
Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Pacific Island
Territory; Nonnative Rat Eradication Project, Draft Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge)
nonnative rat eradication project draft environmental impact statement
(DEIS) for public review and comment. In the DEIS we describe a range
of alternatives for eliminating nonnative rats from the Refuge.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by
April 11, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may send your comments or requests for information by
any of the following methods. For information on viewing or obtaining
the documents, see ``Public Availability of Documents'' under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
E-mail: pacific_reefs@fws.gov. Include ``Palmyra rat project'' in
subject line.
Fax: Attn: Dr. Elizabeth Flint, 808-792-9586.
U.S. Mail: Pacific Reefs National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 300 Ala
Moana Blvd., Room 5-231, Honolulu, HI 96850.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Flint, Supervisory Wildlife
Biologist, (808) 792-9553.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the public involvement process for
our DEIS, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), as amended, and its implementing
regulations. We started the process through a notice in the Federal
Register (75 FR 2158) published on January 14, 2010.
Refuge Overview
Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Northern
Line Islands, approximately 1,000 miles south of Honolulu, HI, in the
central Pacific Ocean. The Refuge encompasses nearly all of the Palmyra
Atoll (Atoll). The Atoll consists of approximately 54 small, heavily
vegetated islets surrounding 3 central lagoons. Habitats consist of 680
acres of land and 15,512 acres of lagoons and shallow reefs. The Nature
Conservancy (TNC) purchased the Atoll's islands in 2000 from private
landowners, and later sold most of the islands to the Service. The
Refuge was established to manage, conserve, protect, and restore fish,
wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats for future
generations.
The Nature Conservancy retained ownership of Cooper and Menge
Islands, and established a small research station on Cooper Island that
is operational year round. The Nature Conservancy's mission is to
preserve plants, animals and natural communities that represent the
biological diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and
waters they need to survive. The Service and TNC work cooperatively to
protect, restore, and enhance migratory birds, coral reefs, and
threatened and endangered species in their natural setting on the
Atoll.
The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (Monument) was
established on January 6, 2009, by Presidential Proclamation by
President George W. Bush. The Refuge is one of seven refuges in the
Monument, and is encompassed within the Monument's boundaries. The
Refuge's boundary extends seaward 12 nautical miles, encompassing
515,232 acres; the boundary of the Monument extends resource protection
out to 50 nautical miles. The Refuge's terrestrial habitats support one
of the largest remaining tropical coastal strand forests in the U.S.
Pacific Islands, primarily consisting of the Pisonia grandis tree. A
diverse land crab fauna including the coconut crab, ecologically intact
predator-dominated fish assemblages, and large seabird populations are
important Refuge resources. The Refuge is closed to commercial fishing.
[[Page 10622]]
Background
The National Environmental Policy Act and National Wildlife Refuge
System Administration Act
We prepared the DEIS in accordance with NEPA, and its implementing
regulations; the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of
1966 as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act
of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge Administration Act); and
Service regulations and policies. The Refuge Administration Act
requires each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System to be managed
to achieve its establishing purposes.
Public Outreach
We conducted public scoping for the DEIS from January 14 to March
1, 2010 (75 FR 2158). During that time we requested public comments
through the Federal Register and on our Web site http://www.fws.gov/palmyraatoll/rainforestrestoration.html. The comments we received
covered topics such as threats to nontarget species, our selection of
the rodenticide brodifacoum over diphacinone, and effects to other
Refuge operations. We have considered and evaluated these comments, and
incorporated them into the various alternatives identified in the DEIS.
We are now requesting your comments on our draft alternatives.
Invasive Species on the Atoll
The Atoll was significantly modified by the U.S. Navy during World
War II. A network of roadways connecting the major islets and the
construction of a north-south causeway altered natural water
circulation. The impacts from invasive species on the Atoll's native
forests, fauna, and habitats are associated with World War II era
restructuring and invasive species introductions that included plants
(coconut palm), insects (several ant species, mosquitoes, and scale
insects), and mammals (black rats).
Black rats cause degradation of nearly all aspects of the Atoll's
ecosystem, from breeding seabird populations to the native Pisonia
forest ecotype. Rats prey on native seabirds, their eggs, and their
young, and are likely preventing the recolonization of six additional
seabird species indigenous to the area. The rats prey on native land
crabs as well, and directly compete with them for limited food
resources.
Black rats provide habitat for other invasive species. The spread
of coconut palm, an invasive tree species, is likely aided by rat-
related recruitment and limitation of other tree species. Rats foraging
on coconuts create habitat for invasive mosquitoes, and spread the
seeds of invasive flora throughout the Atoll. The rats are modifying
the terrestrial ecosystem of this important Atoll by limiting the
reproduction, recruitment, and establishment of several native tree
species. Coconut palms already dominate 45 percent of the Refuge's
forests. Left unchecked, the combined effects of rats and coconut palms
could drastically alter forest structure. All of these impacts in turn
affect the relationship between land and marine resources, and
compromise our ability to achieve Refuge purposes.
Palmyra Atoll also functions as a natural laboratory, where
scientists study ocean acidification and other effects of anthropogenic
global climate change, including the movements of endangered species in
the absence of other significant human-induced effects, and other
issues. Removing rats and restoring the ecological integrity of the
ecosystem are essential for facilitating this research.
Palmyra Atoll Restoration
Removing rats from Palmyra Atoll is the first step in a series of
restoration efforts designed to restore the Atoll to its pre World War
II status. Rat eradication is the first step in the process, because
eradicating the rats is feasible and relatively fast. Removing the rats
will enhance the ecological integrity of the Atoll by slowing the
spread of coconut palms and allowing extirpated breeding seabird
species to recolonize. The next stage of restoration, eradicating the
coconut palms, becomes feasible after the removal of the rats.
Eradicating rats from Palmyra is expected to result in biodiversity
benefits for seabirds, plants, terrestrial invertebrates, and other
components of the Atoll's terrestrial ecosystem. Removing the threat of
rats will give Palmyra's remnant native forest and the extant and
likely extirpated seabird species the opportunity to recover. The
benefit of this conservation action is significant from a regional
perspective because Palmyra is the only moist tropical atoll ecosystem
in the Central Pacific with strong Federal protections that is not
experiencing exploitation of both marine and terrestrial natural
resources by burgeoning human populations. Removing rats from Palmyra
will help prevent the extinction of the Central Pacific moist tropical
island ecotype.
Alternatives
We developed four alternatives, including Alternative A, our no
action alternative. The action alternatives--Alternatives B, C, and D--
were developed to focus on the primary issues we identified internally
and in comments we received during public scoping from the public,
national and international experts in island rodent eradication, and
government regulatory agencies.
The potential impacts of the alternatives are assessed in the DEIS,
and where appropriate, mitigation measures are applied to reduce the
intensity of or avoid the potential effects. A brief description of
each alternative follows.
Under Alternative A, our no-action alternative, no new actions to
eradicate the black rat population from Palmyra Atoll would be
implemented, and the black rat would continue to multiply and harm the
Atoll's environment.
Under Alternative B, we would apply a brodifacoum pesticide where
appropriate using hand baiting, aerial application, and bait stations,
to eliminate black rats from Palmyra Atoll.
Under Alternative C, we would apply a brodifacoum pesticide where
appropriate using hand baiting, aerial application, and bait stations,
to eliminate black rats from Palmyra Atoll. We would also proactively
mitigate potential risks to vulnerable shorebirds.
Under Alternative D, we would establish brodifacoum bait stations
and conduct canopy baiting to eliminate black rats from Palmyra Atoll.
Public Availability of the DEIS
The DEIS is available for viewing and downloading on our Web site
at http://www.fws.gov/palmyraatoll/. Printed copies of the DEIS may be
reviewed at the Pacific Reefs National Wildlife Refuge Complex Office,
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-211, Honolulu, HI 96850; phone (808) 792-
9550.
Next Steps
After this comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and
address them in the form of a final environmental impact statement.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
[[Page 10623]]
Dated: February 4, 2011.
Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 2011-4040 Filed 2-24-11; 8:45 am]
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